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Bilateral coordination is an important skill for children to master and is something that parents should look out for as children develop in their early years. Today we look at the topic, explaining what it is, why it’s important and how mastery of the skill benefits little ones.

What is Bilateral Coordination?

Bilateral coordination refers to the developmental skill of accomplishing one or more activities, using both sides of the body at the same time. Examples might include using one hand to hold paper still and the other to draw, or coordinating each foot in a different way in order to successfully propel oneself on a scooter or bicycle.

“Crossing the Midline”

You may also hear reference to the phrase crossing the midline and this is also linked to bilateral coordination. It refers to a person reaching across their body, from one side to the opposite side, in order to complete a task. An example would be a child reaching with their right hand, across their body, to pick up a toy that’s to their left. Crossing the midline in such a way is a significant step because it demonstrates that infants have progressed from naturally using the side of their body nearest the object to using a dominant or preferred side. This may be the first indication parents have of whether their child is going to be left- or right-handed.

Why is Bilateral Coordination Important?

As adults, we take bilateral coordination very much for granted, forgetting that we weren’t born with such abilities. Being able to coordinate both sides of the body to accomplish tasks, activities or even just movements is incredibly important. If children don’t learn the skill, they may appear clumsy and uncoordinated and will struggle with a variety of physical tasks.

Signs of Possible Difficulty

Parents/carers can watch out for signs of possible difficulty with bilateral coordination in children. Signs could include difficulty tying shoe laces, buttoning up clothes, handwriting, catching a ball, clapping and even knowing when to lift or bend a limb in order to achieve a particular physical movement — when walking up a step, for example. The appearance of clumsiness is another sign.

The 3 Types of Bilateral Coordination

Bilateral coordination falls into three categories:

Reciprocal bilateral coordination: this is where both sides of the body form a rhythmic motion but the movements on each side alternate. Examples include walking, swimming and cycling.
Symmetrical bilateral coordination: this is where both sides of the body are performing the same task at the same time. For example, clapping, catching a ball or doing star jumps.
Asymmetrical bilateral coordination: here, both sides of the body are required to perform a task, but the motions on one side do not match those on the other at all. Cutting a piece of paper, for example, involves one hand holding or moving the paper and the other using the scissors. Tying shoe laces also requires each hand to perform a different task. Playing a musical instrument is another example. For instance, violin strings will need to be held down against the fret board by one hand and played with the other using a bow.

In many cases, the child will find themselves using a worker hand on one side of the body and a helper hand on the other. One ultimately becomes the dominant hand in 99% of all children. Thus, they become either left-handed or right-handed. Just 1% of people are properly ambidextrous, i.e. having no dominant hand, although many more will exhibit one or more ambidextrous skills at some stage of their development.

The Motor Skills Needed for Bilateral Coordination

Mastery of bilateral coordination requires children to develop and fine-tune three types of motor skill:

Fine motor skills — the smaller, precise movements needed to accomplish things like building with Lego blocks, doing up buttons etc;
Gross motor skills e.g. walking, crawling, skipping, jumping, riding a bike or peddling a scooter;
Visual motor skills e.g. using skilled hand-eye coordination for writing, drawing, tracing and using scissors to make accurate cuts.

Activities That Help Improve Bilateral Coordination

When age appropriate for safety purposes, practising activities like those above and listed below can help children to improve bilateral coordination and body awareness:

Threading beads on a string, or string through holes punched though paper or card;
Playing catch with a ball;
Ball games that use hands and/or feet;
Playing with musical instruments e.g. banging drums, playing a keyboard etc.;
Carefully cutting or tearing paper along a specific path;
Popping bubbles using both hands;
Play-doh — squeezing and rolling it, including use of tools to shape it;
Playing physical movement games like ‘Simon Says’;
Playing with equipment in playgrounds, for example climbing up a ramp or climbing frame etc;
Helping with household duties like carrying shopping, filling or emptying bags, loading and unloading washing;
Swimming and other sports activities;
Role play as animals e.g. walking on all fours, walking sideways, jumping etc.;
Playing the commercial game ‘Twister’, which is also brilliant fun.

These are just a few examples. Any age-appropriate game or activity is likely to help improve bilateral coordination so long as it requires precise, measured movements and coordination of both sides of the body. It’s a case of the child practising over time, often through play, until a particular physical outcome has been mastered. Progress is particularly easy to see in babies and infants as they gradually become more physically able, dextrous, strong and coordinated.

Any Concerns?

We should mention that some children take longer than others to achieve mastery of bilateral coordination and this is quite normal — every child is different. That said, a few children are affected by conditions such as Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (‘DCD’) and Dyspraxia, which adversely affect coordination. However, a positive diagnosis of such conditions is only really possible once a child reaches the age of 4 or 5. Our Guide to DCD and Dyspraxia in Children explains more. If you have any concerns about your child, please ask your GP or health visitor for a professional opinion.

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30 August 2022/by Mark

While most people have heard of dyslexia (see our recent guide), fewer are aware of a condition called dyspraxia. In this rough guide we give an overview as to what dyspraxia is, how it affects children, how to spot the signs of it and what can be done to mitigate its effects.

Please note: Dyspraxia is a form of Developmental Co-ordination Disorder or ‘DCD’ for short. Indeed, because there are different forms of dyspraxia, medical professionals generally tend to refer to the condition as DCD rather than dyspraxia. For the purpose of this guide, we’ll use either of the terms interchangeably to mean the type of dyspraxia that people are born with or develop naturally (not other types that may be the result of physical trauma like stroke or injury).

What is Dyspraxia/DCD?

In essence, dyspraxia (DCD) is a condition that causes problems with movement and co-ordination. When children have this, they may appear more clumsy than their peers and the condition will adversely affect how well they execute physical activities. For this reason, they may reach some of their key developmental milestones later than expected. There are varying degrees of the condition, so children who have it may exhibit symptoms sooner, later or more/less severely than others.

The condition cannot be cured, so needs to be managed (usually right into adulthood) in order to mitigate its effects.
Dyspraxia affects 3 to 4 times more boys than girls.
It’s not usually possible to get a definitive diagnosis before a child is at least 4 to 5.
The condition is also sometimes referred to as Specific Developmental Disorder of Motor Function (SDDMF).
Children with dyspraxia often have other conditions including ADHD, autism, dyslexia and/or sometimes problems with speech.

How Does it Affect Children?

Although dyspraxia usually has nothing to do with intelligence or the ability to think, the condition can really hold children back. As well as the innate inconvenience of not being good at co-ordinating movements and physical tasks, it can leave children prone to being less fit. This is simply because they’re not naturally co-ordinated enough to be good at sport and physical activities, so are less likely to partake in them.

Children with dyslexia/DCD may also have trouble with concentration, low attention spans, following instructions, copying information and organising themselves or other items. Due to the issues around the condition, they are often slower at picking up new skills. All of this can be very frustrating for them, so sometimes they develop behavioural problems too. Dyspraxia/DCD can make a child feel different, feel isolated, sometimes become the focus for bullying and often have trouble making friends. All of this can lead on to give sufferers a low sense of self-esteem.

Signs to Look Out For

Babies and toddlers with dyspraxia may start to exhibit a delay in starting to crawl, roll or sit. Before they’re one, they may also end up in odd body positions or have strange posture.

As they develop and grow older, they may show difficulty when they eventually walk, feed themselves, dress, draw and/or write. They may have trouble stacking things, playing with certain toys, using pencils, using cutlery, eating and generally co-ordinating their movements. Playground activities like running, jumping, and kicking or catching a ball may be difficult for them to co-ordinate correctly. Trouble with buttoning clothing when they’re older and tying show laces is also a classic sign.

Why Children Develop Dyspraxia

It’s not known why children develop dyspraxia/DCD but children are more likely to develop it …

if they were born prematurely;
if they were low in weight at birth;
if they come from a family with a history of it;
if their mothers drank alcohol or took illegal drugs whilst pregnant.

Diagnosing Dyspraxia/DCD

If you suspect that your baby, toddler or child may exhibiting possible symptoms of dyspraxia/DCD, you should consult your GP, Health Visitor or the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) at your child’s educational setting. Your child may then be referred to a specialist healthcare professional who can assess them. Diagnosis itself is usually undertaken by a paediatrician, often in tandem with an occupational therapist who will later be involved in treatment if the diagnosis turns out to be positive. Much more detail about dyspraxia/DCD diagnosis is available on the NHS website.

How to Help Children with Dyspraxia/DCD

While dyspraxia cannot be cured, there are ways to help children with the condition and indeed they may well require help for the long term. A tailored help plan is usually generated by a combination of healthcare and educational professionals in tandem with parents and the individual concerned. The plan will be designed to mitigate the specific challenges that a child is facing, so will differ from case to case. For example, a child may need help from a paediatric occupational therapist to master use of cutlery, writing, playing and dressing etc. And/or a clinical psychologist may be needed to help with the child’s mental health. An educational psychologist may be able to help the child overcome barriers to them progressing their education … and so on. Learn more about the types of treatment available for children with dyspraxia here.

The following video may also be useful as an illustration of how one family deals with childhood dyspraxia.

Dyspraxia & Special Educational Needs at Little Cedars Nursery, Streatham

It’s important for nursery staff, education professionals and parents to look out for the signs of possible dyspraxia, and any other conditions, in children under their care. The earlier symptoms are spotted, the more likely the child can be helped to best effect. While it’s not possible for children under 4 or 5 to be positively diagnosed with dyspraxia/DCD with full certainty, should a positive diagnosis be suspected, then a tailored learning and development programme can be put in place at the earliest opportunity. In this way, the child will be supported where needed and any adverse effects of the possible condition can be reduced to a minimum. Using this approach means that even children with special educational needs can thrive, achieving personal bests as they progress through their learning and development milestones.

Little Cedars is one of the best nurseries in the area around Streatham, Streatham Common, Streatham Hill, Streatham Park, Furzedown, Tooting and Balham. We’re based at 27 Aldrington Road, Streatham, SW16 1TU and offer outstanding, weekday childcare services for babies, toddlers and preschoolers up to the age of 5. So, if you are looking for a high quality nursery or pre-school in any of these south west London areas, please make contact with us while a few places are still available (please choose a button):